Each year the Tuolumne County
Historical Society’s Scholarship Committee coordinates with local
high schools to award two scholarships to seniors who will be
attending college. All Tuolumne County high school seniors may
apply. The
winners are chosen based on their academic record, student
activities, volunteer efforts, and essay responses to questions
reflecting their awareness of history and their ability to follow
through on a goal.

Writer's
Awards

The Tuolumne County
Historical Society provides a variety of community involvements; the
outreach to young students, high school and post-high school
individuals. The Society provides awards for writing papers about
local history of events, places and personal recollections which
serves to stimulate interest and participation in capturing our
local heritage. There may be up to four classifications of
competitions and awards: New Historian (4th graders),
Student Historian 5-8 (5th – 8th graders),
Student Historian 9 – 12 (9th – 12th graders),
and Historical Scholar (post-high school). Writers need not be
members of the Society to enter papers in the competition.

The current competition involves
fourth grade students and partnership with the City of Sonora.
Several fourth grade classes (schools must submit application to the
City of Sonora) are invited to tour downtown Sonora to learn about
our local history. These schools are invited to participate in
an essay contest. The student must write an essay, either
fiction or non-fiction, that focuses on Tuolumne County History.
All students receive a certificate of participation; the best essay
from each class receives a ribbon and has their essay displayed at
the Mother Lode Fair. Monetary awards are given to the top
(usually three) essays. The City of Sonora will also post the
winner on the City website.